Safety

Fleet Safety Video Tip: When Hailstorms Threaten

Ever wish you had more advance warning whenever a severe hailstorm headed toward your area, so you could take more measures to protect both fleet drivers and their vehicles?

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, based in South Carolina, is in fact conducting a research project aimed at reducing hailstorm property damage and improving hailstorm forecast models and radar detection. The project is in collaboration with Penn State University.

But until such research leads to reliable hailstorm forecasting, fleet managers in some regions – particularly the Central Plains states – will continue to deal with occasional hailstorm damage claims. Last month, Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado all experienced major hailstorms that generated plenty of business for local body shops.

There are some measures that drivers can take, though, to protect themselves and their vehicle. Here are some safety tips, provided by Union Mutual of Vermont and Progressive Insurance, you can pass along to fleet drivers as a friendly reminder.

When hail is larger than three-quarters of an inch in diameter, drivers are advised to:

Stop driving. If you can see a safe place to drive to, such as inside a garage or under a service station awning, do so as soon as you can. Make sure you pull completely off the highway, but avoid ditches due to possible high-rising water.

Keep your vehicle angled so the hail hits the front of the vehicle. Windshields are reinforced to withstand forward driving and pelting objects. Side windows and back glass are not, so they’re much more susceptible to breakage.

Stay away from vehicle windows. Cover yourself with a blanket or coat, if possible, because there may be debris. In particular, protect your eyes. See if you can get onto the floor face-down, or lay down on the seat with your back to the windows.

Safety

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will recall up to 2,457 2018 Ram 4500 and Ram 5500 chassis cab trucks for a potential defect that could result in loss of braking due to brake hose corrosion, the company has announced.

The crash took place over the weekend, when the driver of a Tesla Model S rear ended a fire department mechanic truck. Police in Utah are investigating whether Tesla’s Autopilot was on at the time of the crash.

As Barry Pottle, President of Pottle’s Transportation states, “Drivers are the biggest asset in any company.” When accidents happen, you need a way to protect them and SmartDrive does that.
Get started today with the SmartDrive Video-Base Safety Program

Ford Motor Company is adding an estimated 26,000 2015 to 2017 Ford Transit full-size vans equipped with a trailer tow module to an existing recall — bringing the total recall in North America to nearly 99,900 vehicles.

Autocar, LLC (Autocar) is recalling an estimated 541 2018-2019 Autocar Xpeditor vocational trucks because the pinch bolt on the clamp for the adjustable length drag may not have been tightened properly.